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The Legal Journal On Technology

VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORKS IN WFH CULTURE: ADDRESSING THE ASSOCIATED QUALMS




INTRODUCTION


We live in a world, where privacy has become no less valuable than life. Our needs and wants have increased manifold in the past few decades. We long for establishing sovereignty in every part of our life but does your PC, like you, want such limited sovereignty? Yes, I guess, you inextricably have stored a mammoth of data into it, which you cannot afford to lose. In light of these comments, this article would discuss a comparatively less debated genre- the virtual private network (or VPN, as you may call it).

VPN is a subway

You realise you’re under scrutiny and wish to hide; and you see a subway, so you just get in there to oust the outside vision and, innately, assume that nobody is watching you. VPN is such a subway. You are out of the sight of the spectators and whatever you do would always remain a secret.

If you connect some mobiles with your local area network, you are using a private mode of the digital transition. These devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network and anything can be transferred without connecting to the Internet.[1] VPN is a virtual private network that facilitates the connections from a distance for remote workers. A person, while sitting at home, can connect to any VPN network remotely if he has access to it.[2] Nowadays, the use of a VPN is so common that mobile devices, routers, etc come with an existing VPN system that can be easily stated by an individual by using the access credentials.

Why use a VPN?

Now, when the majority of the world population is working from home (WFH), the necessity of a VPN has touched heights. Even prior to this day, many companies were using VPNs to connect their employees to a single network, thereby giving access at a time to a particular number of people, which could help them save their sensitive information.[3] Now, WFH has created new circumstances, where an employee needs a VPN to get connected to his office, which may be in other countries. This makes its mandatory role quite viable.

It is important to note that a VPN is always under a company's strict scrutiny and could force the user (the employee, obviously) to use specific sites and stop something they don't desire or expect the employee to use at the office, for example- YouTube.[4]Thus, the VPN is totally different from a network and a network blockage or prohibited networking has no effect on it. You can run some VPNs even in China and access your Facebook account! (unless you're hooked by the sleuths :P).

Is VPN about safety?

In the beginning, it was mentioned how a subway is the best place for you to hide and work. A good number of VPNs promise security and privacy guarantees. If a network you are connected with is not working on end-to-end encryption, your information can be leaked. Let us analyze if having a VPN can save you.

For the record, the authenticity and disposition of VPNs depend on their specific servers. When they hide your networking from the wide population, the VPN server you're accessing can watch every action you perform.[5] Your network traffic is under the shaft, but risks may be involved herein too. VPN server, which naturally is generated by a human who has full access to it, can trace your browsing and sell your data to ‘network infiltrators’, who in turn use this to steal your identity for their nasty intents. Now here are a few suggestions you should note while using a VPN:-

Never Use Free VPNs- Some VPNs are available for free on the Play Store and Microsoft Store, which users usually download and start using. Indians use VPNs to access gaming and even pornography, at the cost of something they don't know- their network traffic. These VPNs provide access to other countries' traffic where such sites are not banned; and in turn, get access to everything the user browses for that period with VPNs. So, it is highly recommended that one does not use any free VPNs; and even if he’s using them, he should be careful to delete the apps and cache memory as well get a quick anti-virus scan if his data is susceptible to such attacks.

Read Privacy Policy of VPNs- A very common suggestion to every user is that if he is buying a VPN, he should always read its privacy and security policy. However, even after doing this, none can guarantee that they would walk their talk.

Configuration of Encryption- In recent days, a huge number of VPNs with faulty encryption were in the news. The lesser the encryption is, the easier it is for the cyberpunks to decrypt it.[6] So, one should always ask his VPN provider for encryption details and peruse them for a satisfactory choice.

Don't Sacrifice your IP Address- When a VPN provider runs his network off your bandwidth and IP address, he uses it as an exit mode. Having your IP address in exit mode means other VPN users can use it while browsing on the web. They can do any illegal activities with your identity, camouflaging the real punk. This can even lead you to legal action as that person using your identity can commit the most severe crimes.

Conclusion: Do you need a VPN?

Many are concerned about the data qualms which are inextricably and even undesirably linked to the human life. But not all of us need a VPN. As Nick Pestell puts it[7], "It's a bit arguing that you should put on a helmet to drive your car around your neighborhood at 30 mph." Here, the risk has lessened but in no way, does it match the money one spends and is prima facie unreasonable. During these times, when employees are working from remote locations, the accessibility to the company's internal network can be well established by a VPN, while ensuring data confidentiality. Here, the use becomes necessary.

But employees who work in small-sized companies that usually have relatively less data sharing and vulnerability chances should not focus on investing their resources into VPNs. It may provide an extra layer of protection but it would be irrelevant if other already existing encryption layers were never attacked or contained chances to be decrypted. Having a VPN for hiding your own browsing can be a reason which is very much limited to your personal skepticisms. But such companies, like for a hundred employees, do not need VPN services when they already have encryption on the software they use like Zoom, Gsuite, etc.[8] In exceptional circumstances like journalism or legal works, a VPN may prove to be fruitful, depending upon individual needs.

So, as argued in this article, VPN acts like a subway to hide from wide traffic, but you're still traceable and need to be cautious about where and how your data is being expended. It's not about increasing your anxiety about the internet suspicions but to unfold the picture of an "insurance" which promises identically to everyone but maybe a boon or bane depending upon the needs and wants.

[1] Chris Hoffman, ‘What are VPNs, and Why Would I need one?’ How-To Geek( November 12, 2019) available at:https://www.howtogeek.com/133680/htg-explains-what-is-a-vpn/. [2]CatalinCampanu, ‘With everyone working from home, VPN security is now paramount’(March 24, 2020) available at https://www.zdnet.com/article/covid-19-with-everyone-working-from-home-vpn-security-has-now-become-paramount/. [3] Monica Chin, ‘Do You need a VPN? Quite Possible, Here’s Why’ Mashable(Aug 20, 2019) available at https://mashable.com/article/why-you-need-vpn/. [4]Zohair A., ‘6 VPN Scams You Need to Know About to Avoid Them, Security Gladiators’ July 27, 2020, available at https://securitygladiators.com/vpn-scams/. [5] Malcom Heath, ‘Four Risks to consider with Expanded VPN Deployments’F5 Labs April 10, 2020, available at https://www.f5.com/labs/articles/cisotociso/four-risks-to-consider-with-expanded-vpn-deployments. [6] Tim Mocan, VPN Encryption (All You Need to Know), Cactus VPN(January 10, 2019) available at https://www.cactusvpn.com/beginners-guide-to-vpn/vpn-encryption/#:~:text=VPN%20encryption%20is%20the%20process,are%20sent%20to%20the%20server.&text=VPN%20encryption%20ciphers,-VPN%20encryption%20protocols. [7] Nick Pestell, Most people don't need a commercial VPN to work from home securely,IVPN (April 7, 2020) available at https://www.ivpn.net/blog/most-people-dont-need-a-commercial-vpn-to-work-from-home-securely/. [8]CatalinCampanu, With everyone working from home, VPN security is now paramount, (March 24, 2020) available at https://www.zdnet.com/article/covid-19-with-everyone-working-from-home-vpn-security-has-now-become-paramount/.

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